Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia
Rights group, African Centre for Human Advancement and Resource Support, CHARS-Africa, has demanded a probe into the reported helicopter attack on Mbosi Community in Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra State on Tuesday May 14.
The group which condemned the incident said that the confusion over those behind the incident is generating curiosity, hence the urgent need for the investigation.
CHARS-AFRICA, in a statement on Monday by its Executive Director, Amaka Biachi; and Programme Officer, Okoye, Chuka Peter, said the incident, “constitutes a prima facie mass atrocity, whether perpetrated by state actors or non-state militias.”
The statement read in part: “We condemn, in the strongest possible terms, the appalling incident that occurred on Tuesday, May 14, 2025, in the Mbosi community, Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra State.
“On that day, a low-flying helicopter … unleashed cannon fire upon a civilian residential compound, resulting in the brutal deaths of three children and the critical injury of at least one other civilian.
“This act of unspeakable recklessness, marked by the alleged detonation of a military-grade explosive in a civilian environment, constitutes not only a clear breach of international humanitarian law but also a gross violation of the fundamental rights to life, dignity, and security of persons as guaranteed under the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended).
“While an alleged eyewitness account points to possible military involvement, the Nigerian Air Force has issued a categorical denial of any such operation within the vicinity at that material time. Conversely, other local actors, including the President General of Mbosi, have attributed the attack to the Eastern Security Network (ESN). These contradictory narratives, in the absence of a transparent and independent inquiry, only deepens public confusion.”
According to the statement, “the silence and inaction of government authorities at both state and federal levels are unacceptable and amount to a dereliction of constitutional duty.”
It said: “It is a national disgrace that unidentified aircraft, whether military or insurgent, can carry out air-to-ground attacks against civilian populations without consequence or traceability.”
“There exists a strong presumption of state complicity or criminal negligence, given the persistent lapses in airspace control, the proliferation of ungoverned spaces, and the operational impunity of armed non-state actors.”
“Where the state fails to act or refuses to account, it becomes, in law and in conscience, a party to the crime,” CHARS-Africa claimed.
The group, therefore, called for the immediate establishment of an independent Judicial Panel of Inquiry by the Government of Anambra State, “empowered to ascertain the origin and ownership of the aircraft involved; and to investigate the circumstances leading to the use of explosive weapons in a residential area.”
The group demanded “reparative justice, including compensation to affected families, in line with Nigeria’s obligations under the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.”
It urged the Federal Government, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC); the National Assembly Committees on Defence and Human Rights; South-East members of the National Assembly; and the Honourable Attorney-General of the Federation, “to immediately commence a parallel investigation under the oversight of the Federal Ministry of Justice, with a view to identifying the perpetrators and forestalling a recurrence of this atrocity.”
CHARS- Africa challenged Governor Chukwuma Soludo, representatives of Ihiala constituency, and all relevant local authorities to rise to the occasion.
“Impunity breeds further lawlessness. When crimes of such magnitude are left unaddressed, the state becomes complicit by omission. This tragedy must not be buried under political indifference.
“CHARS-Africa remains committed to the pursuit of truth, justice, and accountability. Until this matter is fully investigated, justice rendered, and the victims duly compensated, we shall continue to employ all lawful mechanisms, both national and international, to hold all relevant actors accountable.
“May the souls of the innocent children who perished in this inexcusable violence rest in peace. May their memory awaken the conscience of the nation and serve as a call to urgent reform in Nigeria’s security and governance systems,” the statement said.
